1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image recognition, in particular to image recognition of a pattern.
2. Description of Prior Art
As a color copying machine provides more functions with improved performance, forgery becomes a big problem, and effective countermeasures for preventing forgery have been researched and developed. In one of the countermeasures, a specified pattern has been embedded in a pattern in a paper money or the like. When an image is read in copying operation in a copying machine, the scanned image is analyzed. When a specified pattern is detected in image recognition, it is decided that a paper money or the like is going to be copied, and normal image forming is forbidden.
Many data received from an input apparatus are color images having a large amount of information. Further, input or output apparatuses are operated at higher speed and at higher resolution. On the other hand, the image recognition of specified patterns is required to be processed in real time, whereas a hardware structure therefor has a more complicated structure. Therefore, in order to prevent forgery, it is an important problem to develop image recognition of specified patterns which can be performed at high speed, at high precision and with a simple structure.